Police: Body spotted in national park is that of gunman

1of8In this undated photo provided by the Pierce County Sheriff's Dept., Benjamin Colton Barnes, is shown. Officials said Barnes is a person of interest in the fatal shooting of a park ranger at Mount Rainier National Park, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012 in Washington State. (AP Photo/Pierce County Sheriff's Dept.)

2of8PIERCE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT VIA AP WAR VETERAN: Benjamin Colton Barnes, seen in an undated photo, had had a troubled transition to civilian life and was believed to be carrying a cache of weapons.

3of8The west entrance to Mount Rainier National Park is shown, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012 in Washington State. State Patrol Troopers were checking outgoing cars and park rangers were turning away visitors after a National Parks Service Ranger was shot and killed Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)Photo: Ted S. Warren

4of8The flag at an entrance to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state flies at half-staff, Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, the day after Park Ranger Margaret Anderson was killed by a gunman inside the park. The park remained closed Monday as officials search for the gunman, who remains at-large after he fled on foot. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)Photo: Ted S. Warren

5of8A convoy of evacuees leaves Mount Rainier National Park in the early morning hours of Monday, Jan. 2, 2012 in Washington state. More than 100 people were kept in guarded conditions at a visitors center in the park until the evacuation as a safety precaution after a gunman shot and killed a park ranger during a traffic stop, fled on foot, and remained at-large overnight. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)Photo: Ted S. Warren

6of8People evacuated from Mount Rainier National Park walk to the fire station in Ashford, Wash., in the early morning hours of Monday, Jan. 2, 2012. More than 100 people were kept in guarded conditions at a visitors center in the park until the evacuation as a safety precaution after a gunman shot and killed a park ranger during a traffic stop, fled on foot, and remained at-large overnight. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)Photo: Ted S. Warren

7of8A Tacoma Police tactical operations van leaves Mount Rainier National Park, Wash. on Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, the day after Park Ranger Margaret Anderson was killed by a gunman inside the park. The park remained closed Monday as officials searched for the gunman, who remained at-large after he fled on foot. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)Photo: Ted S. Warren

8of8Law-enforcement vehicles enter Mount Rainier National Park, Wash. at sunrise, Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, the day after Park Ranger Margaret Anderson was killed by a gunman inside the park. The park remained closed Monday as officials searched for the gunman, who remained at-large after he fled on foot. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)Photo: Ted S. Warren

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. - An armed Iraq War veteran suspected of killing a Mount Rainier National Park ranger managed to evade snowshoe-wearing SWAT teams and dogs on his trail for nearly a day. He couldn't, however, escape chest-deep snow.

A plane searching the remote wilderness for Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24, on Monday discovered his body lying face down on the mountain hours from where authorities could get to him.

Barnes was believed to have fled to the remote park on Sunday to hide after an earlier shooting at a New Year's house party near Seattle that wounded four, two critically. Authorities suspect he shot ranger Margaret Anderson later Sunday.

SWAT teams more used to urban standoffs trekked deep into the back country, unfamiliar territory for them.

Fear that tourists could be caught in the crossfire in a shootout with Barnes, who had survivalist training, prompted officials to hold more than a 100 people at the visitors' center before evacuating them in the middle of the night.

Barnes, who was believed to be carrying a cache of weapons, had had a troubled transition to civilian life, with accusations he suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and is suicidal.

He was involved in a custody dispute in July, during which his toddler daughter's mother sought a temporary restraining order against him, according to court documents.

The woman told authorities he was suicidal and possibly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after deploying to Iraq in 2007-2008, and had once sent her a text message saying, "I want to die."

She alleged that he gets easily irritated, angry and depressed and keeps an arsenal of weapons in his home.

Last November, a guardian ad litem recommended parenting and communication classes for both parents and recommended Barnes be allowed to continue supervised visits with the child, two days a week.

Late Sunday, police said Barnes was a suspect in another shooting incident.

On New Year's, there was an argument at a house party in Skyway, south of Seattle, and gunfire erupted, police said. Barnes was connected to the shooting, said Sgt. Cindi West, King County Sheriff's spokeswoman.

Police believe Barnes headed to the remote park wilderness to "hide out" following the Skyway shooting.

Before fleeing, the gunman fired shots at both Anderson and the ranger that trailed him, but only Anderson was hit.

Park superintendent Randy King said Anderson, a 34-year-old mother of two young girls who was married to another Rainier ranger, had served as a park ranger for about four years.

King said Anderson's husband also was working as a ranger elsewhere in the park at the time of the shooting.

The shooting renewed debate about a federal law that made it legal for people to take loaded weapons into national parks. The 2010 law made possession of firearms subject to state gun laws.

Bill Wade, the outgoing chair of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, called Sunday's fatal shooting a tragedy that could have been prevented. He hopes Congress will reconsider the law that took effect in early 2010, but doubts that will happen in today's political climate.

Calls and emails to the National Rifle Association requesting comment were not immediately returned.